Unless there were grains of sand… sand is the arch enemy of gorilla glass since it can be higher on mohs scale i.e. more than 7
As for the metals they won’t harm it, I’ve seen youtube video where it would get scraped with all kinds of metal objects and even hit with a hammer, not a scratch.
Since there is no info on the material used for camera glass I would assume it’s just plain old glass unless someone from FP will confirm that it’s not. If it is the same gorilla glass 5 I will be content with a silicon case.
Concerning the screen I have already ordered a glass screen protector from Germany, in my experience they are very reliable but it also depends on the quality, right now I have a conventional matte plastic screen protector which distorts the screen on a white background, really ugly.
I think it would be nice if one warm and one cold color were chosen, so that at least there would be that kind of variation between the two eventual covers.
Do you use the camera a lot? If you don’t, then perhaps some duct tape on the back cover (to protect the camera against sand) could help. Otherwise, a custom velcro to protect the camera could help as well.
I use it mostly at work so yea. Velcro is an interesting idea but this is not just about me. If it was up to me, I would design the protective case with a bit of elevation around camera.
Also glass screen protectors are awesome, and one designed specifically for the camera glass would be revolutionary.
The camera is an optical instrument, that to many people is extremely important on a phone. Adding a protective cover with glas inset or protective glass would most likely decrease the optical quality of any camera. With DSLRs there even is a discussion, if one should add an UV-filter as protection for the front lens. Though this is an optical tool as well, connected via a specifically designed thread, it is argued, that it affects the optical quality of high quality lenses negatively.
And the elevation (or rim) is already integrated into the of the cover at least of the FP3.
This might nor help against sand. But a rim thick enough to do that would most likely be considered ugly and it would add relevantely to the thickness of the phone.
My advice would be to use a sleeve or another cover, that is covering the camera as well. Then the camera is endangered only when you take the phone out (for taking pictures etc.). To me that seems to be a good compromise. But I don’t use my phone for taking pictures only quite rearely, so the possible complification for taking pictures is irrelevant for me.
I tried to use a piece of screen protector and haven’t noticed any decrease in optical quality, but it does not stick well, in any case it would be optional.
The design of the back cover is fine, the elevation is sufficient for most scenarios I guess. But I think it is a good idea to also add a bit of elevation to the protective case around the camera opening. The case itself doesn’t have to be rugged, just at the corners and around the camera opening.
I used to have a pouch ten years ago, not very practical, plus the chances of dropping the phone while taking it out of the pouch are multiplied. My point is the design should be fair for everyone including those who work in the field.
Fairphone has announced that they will produce a green and (as originally announced already) a black case first (FB announcement has a few words more than Twitter):
A huge thank you to our community for participating in our poll. We’ve enjoyed reading your comments and we’ve taken your suggestions to heart.
The results are in and we are going GREEN…well, even greener! We are thrilled to be introducing green and black protective cases first. We will continue to keep you updated on further options later.
As I recall ut, it was a question of differeng materials. Transparency seems complicated; at least when eco-friendly.
And keep in mind, that these covers will be applied on top of the cover. They don’t replace it!
This is the thread I was reading. The black translucent units we’re also affected, since fp3 is using similar black translucent plastic, I would guess it is not he material that is at fault but the engineering behind the forming the plastic.
The original hard coating process meant to provide additional protection against scratches has caused the material of some of the new transparent and black translucent production units to become less flexible and thus brittle.
I like the green, but my new year’s resolution to buy less stuff prevents me from getting a cover anyway. The bumper offers plenty protection, and I use the lovely filt pouch I got for carrying my phone in my backpack.
Sorry for the short delay in announcing the result of all of your feedback.
We’ve closed our office and everyone is adjusting to this new reality.
Remember when voting on and discussing protective case colors seemed like an important thing to do? Strange times ahead and I hope you are all hanging in there!
Nevertheless, we really appreciate your input and had a session with the product team to discuss color options.
So here’s what’s up: Black is already in production and will launch first (exact date tbd), green as the clear poll winner will come right after
And there is still hope for everyone who is waiting on their favorite color - we will announce more colors later this year.
Thanks again for the support & talk to you soon everyone.
Stay strong, stay connected.
Best,
Jan
PS: special thanks to @urs_lesse for jumping in early and keeping everyone up to date here!
It’s great that you finally take out protective covers! But I didn’t vote, because I don’t understand why they will only be valid for F3, what about F1 and F2? I’m seeing that they will not be worth them because the camera hole doesn’t match… It’s a pity that you always emphasize that the main reason for this mobile is sustainability, and you end up doing what the rest of the commercial brands: taking out new models so different from the previous ones that the accessories are not even compatible : (
I will not buy a new Fairphone just to have a new case.
I also don’t understand why if I’m already registered on the official website and have a profile, it’s necessary to register again here to participate in the forum…
Well ok, the Fairphone 1 is old and I didn’t have it and so I have no clue what the cover situation was when it was actively sold. Edit: So I shamelessly grab a quote from the future …
So second-hand could be an option for an ever more dwindling user base.
But what about the Fairphone 2?
Cases for the Fairphone 2 are still available in 4 colours in the shop. That’s 4 more cases than are currently available for the Fairphone 3.
Not counting protective covers from other vendors than Fairphone.
This has been discussed at length in this forum already, feel free to use the search function.
Bottom line is … Even if you would make the hardware parts compatible, state of the industry currently would make the software incompatible either from the start, or at least rather sooner than later. It just doesn’t work that way for the foreseeable future.
It’s inconvenient, agreed, but they are operating on different software platforms which don’t share the accounts.
And this forum furthermore is a special case in the Fairphone online presence, because it is not an official Fairphone communication channel, but really a community forum …
We are thrilled to be introducing green and black protective cases first. We will continue to keep you updated on further options later.
: 
Strange times ahead and I hope you are all hanging in there!
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